The present invention relates to a nose support for glasses that is provided with a silicone tube having a most excellent and stable structure to allow a nose pad to softly and elastically rest upon a bridge of a wearer's nose, without having slippage on the nose, to safely distribute and absorb the pressure applied to the bridge of the wearer's nose even if an impact is applied to the wearer's nose, thereby reducing pinching the wearer's nose, and to make the wearer feel most comfortable while in use even though he has any nose shape and size.
Generally, the present invention is suggested by improving Korean Patent No. 2009-62282 issued to the same applicant to this invention, and the prior art discloses a nose support for glasses having a generally straight silicone tube shortly cut with a diameter of 2.2φ and a bore of 0.6φ. According to the soft property of silicone, soft touch is applied to the bridge of a wearer's nose when the nose support rests thereon, but if glasses are relatively heavy or the wearer runs or exercises, the nose support easily slips on the bridge of the wearer's nose. In more detail, according to the prior art, when a T-shaped fixing leg fixed to a fitting by means of welding and a T-shaped fixing projection formed protrudedly from a nose pad-coupling fitting are fittingly inserted into the silicone tube, the silicone tube may tear off, and alternatively, if a force is applied to pull the silicone tube in a state where the T-shaped fixing leg and the T-shaped fixing projection are inserted into the silicone tube, or if a force is applied in every direction after the pulling state, the silicone tube may also tear off.
In the meanwhile, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0429511 discloses a nose support for glasses wherein a fixing fitting fixed to a glass frame is fixed as a unitary body to a hard connection leg, a connection rod is formed as a unitary body with a nose pad, and a fitting tube is formed as a unitary body with the connection rod, thereby fitting the fitting tube around the connection leg. In such prior art, the nose pad, the connection rod and the fitting tube are formed of one body made of soft synthetic resin, a fitting protrusion is formed around the end portion of the nose leg, and a fitting projection is formed around the inner bottom portion of the fitting tube, thereby allowing the fitting tube to be fitted around the connection leg, while preventing the fitting tube from being easily escaping from the connection leg.
After the experiments for the prior art Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0429511, however, it is found that it is difficult to make the nose support as a product by the following problems. That is, glasses parts should be light in weight and be clean in their outer appearance, and further, they should have relatively small diameter and size so as to reduce the obstruction of view. Accordingly, the connection leg has a diameter of a little more or less than 0.5 mm. Thus, if the fitting tube fitted around the connection leg has an outer diameter of more than 2.5φ to 3.5φ, it looks bulky and bad, which is thus rejected from glasses sellers.
Accordingly, the diameter of the fitting tube should be in a range of 2.5φ to 3.5φ, and further, if the fitting tube is too long, it also does not have any value of product. Thus, in general, the diameter of the connection rod integrally connecting the nose pad and the fitting tube should be smaller than the diameter of the fitting tube. In this case, so as to provide compatibility to existing glasses frames, the length of the fitting tube should not be over 6 mm.
In the meanwhile, after the nose pad, the connection rod and the fitting tube are made as a unitary body through a mold, the present inventor has found that the connection rod, which is formed by one of a variety of synthetic resins including urethane and has the diameter of 1 mm to 2 mm and a predetermined short length, does not have both of strong elasticity and soft property, that is, does not have a strong property and a soft property at the same time. In other words, if the elasticity of the connection rod having relatively small diameter and short length is good, the soft property is weakened, and contrarily, if the softness thereof is excellent, the elasticity is bad, so that a good quality of product cannot be made. In this case, if the elasticity is emphasized, a wearer has foreign body sensation and feels dull when the nose pad rests on the bridge of the wearer's nose. Contrarily, if the softness is emphasized, the wearer feels comfortable when the nose pad rests on the bridge of the wearer's nose, but if the weight of the whole glasses is relatively heavy or if the wearer runs or exercises, the nose pad easily slips from the bridge of the wearer's nose.
Theoretically, the connection rod having both of the elasticity and the softness is made, but really, it is almost impossible to make such connection rod because of the technical limitation of the injection work and the physical property limitation of the synthetic resin. Additionally, since the nose pad and the fitting tube are molded as a unitary body to the connection rod, it is actually impossible to make them as one body, while providing the balance of the elasticity and the softness.
Furthermore, when the fitting tube is made of a soft synthetic resin, the fitting protrusion of the connection leg is locked to the fitting projection of the fitting tube, but if the fitting tube is pulled with a slight force, it is easily escaped from the connection leg, which makes it hard to make the nose support as a product.
In conclusion, it is found that so as to make the nose support as a product, while a nose pad-coupling fitting having the nose pad fixed thereon by means of a screw is being used with existing one, a silicone tube has to be positioned between a fitting fixed to a glass frame by means of welding and the nose pad-coupling fitting. At this time, the silicone tube obtains both of elasticity and softness, and further, the silicone tube should be structured newly to prevent easily escaping from the fitting and the nose pad-coupling fitting even when it is pulled therefrom with a relatively strong force.
Next, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 57-45625 discloses another conventional nose support, wherein a pipe similar to the silicone tube is used to just insertingly assemble a pin fixed to a glass frame by means of welding and a bed plate connecting two pipes, and the pipe is made of metal or hard plastic. Further, a plate spring is welded inside the pipe so as to allow the insertion state of the pin and the bed plate to be stabilized, and an arm connected to a nose pad is insertedly welded into a hole formed on the side of the pipe, such that it is found that the structure of the prior art Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 57-45625 does not have any relation to the structure, operation and effect of the present invention as will be described below and further no comparison between them is made.
On the other hand, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-33125 discloses still another conventional nose support, wherein a tube made by coating a plastic core with silicone is bent to a shape of “Λ” and is fitted around a protruding pin or a fitting fixed to a glass frame by means of welding or a screw. Since the plastic core is coated around the surface thereof with silicone and is bent to the shape of “Λ” in such a manner as to be fixed to the glass frame, this prior art has a relatively better wearing feeling than existing hard nose supports, but it is found that the structure of the prior art Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-33125 does not have any relation to the structure, operation and effect of the present invention as will be described below and further no comparison between them is made.